India - Day 7

(Original post date - January 11, 2017)

Day 7

Woke up bright and early (well it was more like dark and early) to get dressed and meet Prem in front of the building. He was already waiting for me by his Jeep with a Guns n Roses bandana covering his mouth like a bank robber. The ride was way colder than I expected (which explains Prem’s bank robber mask) and I could even see my breath inside the car. I seriously was not prepared for this kind of weather.

Once on the highway, a heavy fog rolled in, rivaling what you might see in San Francisco. And yet we maintained a speed of 55 kilometers, slamming on the breaks every now and then when a stray dog or a person would dart in front of us. Prem confirmed my suspicions that a lot of accidents must happen on this road, but thankfully we did not experience that first hand. He asked me how I slept and when I told him that a mosquito kept me up all night long, he offered to let me take a nap in the back seat and said “No mosquito in here.” Tempting as it was, I declined. I was way too nervous about the fog to nod off. The drive, which was supposed to be about 3 hours was made even longer by the fog, and I shivered most of the way there. This time my sweater was not enough to keep me cozy.

We reached a toll booth and Prem got the idea to pay the toll with my credit card and he would reimburse me with cash so that I would have enough to use for my trip. The toll booth man said that he was 99.9% sure that my card would not work. But it did! Yay! Then we stopped for a breakfast of paratha and chai. The chai came in what looked like adorable little clay pots, and the paratha had potato, onions and spices inside, with a tab of butter on top. Prem is not a fan of butter on his paratha and gave his to me and said “you need it because you are small.” Kind as his gesture was to fatten me up, I didn’t even come close to using my own tab. Sitting with Prem in the fog amongst other Indians, eating our breakfast on the side of the road was my favorite experience thus far.

(What was Jon Lovitz doing here?)

We got back on the road and drove and drove and drove until we finally arrived in Agra. It appeared to be quite a poverty stricken area, which is probably why most people visiting the Taj Mahal are advised to stay in Delhi. I desperately wanted to take pictures of the architecture (or lack thereof). There were so many brightly colored, but decaying buildings and shanties. We passed one big pile of ruins that was covered in monkeys eating giant bunches of leaves. If only we weren’t weaving so quickly through the people, cars, and animals.

We arrived at the parking lot and found a spot. Then we bought our entrance tickets which came with a bottle of water and paper booties to cover our shoes once we arrived at the most sacred area of the Taj Mahal. We declined the many offers for tour guides, but gave in and let a man peddle us in his rickshaw to the entrance of the East Gate.

We wound our way through security, which was a breeze at this hour, and found that the Taj Mahal was completely obscured by the fog.

After a quick stop in the restroom, the fog had begun to lift, and continued to do so as the day went on. But to be honest, I found the view to be underwhelming. Perhaps it was because my expectations were too high. I was told that it was definitely a place worth visiting, and while I’m glad I went, I don’t think I would recommend it as a top of the list destination. But maybe it appears more brilliant in different lighting or at different times of the year. I was also devastated that I couldn’t climb one of the side towers and wave to the people below.

Due to my interest in old abandoned buildings, Prem suggested that I return to India another time and he would take me to Rajasthan, a place he thought I would enjoy much better.

After we left, we found the jeep to have a flat tire. Prem and some of the other guys working in the parking lot think it was an angry, rejected tour guide who punctured the tire on purpose! How rude! (I’ve been watching a lot of Fuller House recently.)

I offered to help him change the tire, but he just laughed at me and told me to stay inside. Once that was finished, we got back on the road and spotted a tire fixit man on the side of the road, so we stopped to let him repair the tire. Since the flat tire was on my side, Prem made a joke and said “I don’t know why this happened. You are not so heavy.” Haha, Prem. HA. HA.

When we FINALLY got back on the road, the wheel was making thumping noises. I thought we should stop and figure it out, Prem did not. He thought we should get on the highway and keep going until we found another fixit station. My face stayed contorted in suspense and fear until we reached a pit stop where he could get some help and I could get some lunch.

I ordered Idli Sambar at first, but was still hungry so I ordered Masala Dosa and chai. By the time that arrived, I had started to realize I was full, so I ate a little and took the rest home.

The ride back was long and hot and sleepy. We saw a lot of dead dogs on the way. Ack. Once back in Delhi, Prem came alive and expertly navigated the crowded streets but still giving me a small heart attack along the way. I seriously do not know how we did not crash over a thousand times.

Back at the YWAM base, I relaxed until dinner time which was a bit confusing. I was told dinner would be at 6:30, but when I went to the kitchen it was dark and empty. I twiddled my thumbs until about 7:00 when I found some other girls who helped me and ate with me (Pinky and Miriam). Apparently the food had already been prepared and was just covered with plates in the dark kitchen until you were ready to eat. We ate more daal (yay), some kind of curry, chaputi, and chutney (SO SPICY). The girls told me I looked Indian. I’ve been told I looked Chinese, Cambodian, and Japanese before which all make me laugh, but this was a first. They clarified, and said that I looked like I could be Kashmiri Indian. I still don’t know that I see it, but I was sort of flattered anyway.

Then I took my “bath” and went to sleep.